From the outside looking in, Dakota Fanning — as a household name for roughly two decades and an actor with an enviable list of credits — might seem to exist in the usual celebrity bubble, insulated, as far as possible, from quotidian inconvenience. But she is also a busy professional with a relatable dependence on takeout and delivery, and one who follows the news.
“I’m in a panic over this lettuce situation,” she admits, referring to the cyclosporiasis outbreaks. “What is everybody doing? That’s all I can think and talk about. What do you mean I can’t eat lettuce? What am I supposed to do? I’m not ordering salads. We’re not talking about me cooking. I’m not worried about that.”
For now, perhaps the solution is to return to her “stomping grounds” and eat sushi “anywhere on Ventura Boulevard” after a hike of Fryman Canyon — her ideal day-off itinerary. (That seems fairly lettuce-free, right? Maybe stick to sashimi.)
After all, it’s how Fanning ended up as “a Valley girl” that led to this Zoom call with the actor: Fanning, now 32, first moved to California to pursue work as a child actor and has been a steady presence in film and TV ever since. And 25 years on, she’s still celebrating major milestones. “I’m enjoying where I am and not taking it for granted,” she says. “I’m trying to enjoy the moments that I can, be present for them and try not to move through them too fast.”
Speaking with The Envelope from New York City, where she just landed from Paris to continue filming an untitled thriller for Apple, Fanning jokes that she is working with “half a brain” from jet lag, but feeling grateful and energized about her busy year. She recently wrapped her first onscreen collaboration with sister Elle, the Kristin Hannah adaptation “The Nightingale,” and received Emmy nominations for her supporting performance in the twisty “All Her Fault” and as a producer on “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” under the Fanning sisters’ Lewellen Pictures banner.
“This has not been a year with a lot of time off,” she says. “You can’t plan for it; you have to take advantage of it when it appears.”
Fanning was on set in Europe on Emmy nominations day. “I had just rehearsed and was waiting for them to set up and got the news of my sister and [‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’], and that was really exciting. And then ‘All Her Fault’ and Sarah [Snook] and then myself. It was just a wonderful surprise.” Fanning adds that she is genuinely honored by the nominations, no matter how trite it may sound. “I don’t know why it became a cliche to say it’s an honor to be nominated, but it’s a hundred percent the truth.”
When asked how she’s planning to attend the ceremonies, plural, given the fact that her nominated categories will be presented at both the Sept. 14 televised ceremony and the not-for-broadcast events of Sept. 5 and 6, Fanning says she’s still figuring that out. “I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s up in the air, but it’s lovely to think about.”
How does she feel about the TV Academy’s surprising change? “There were a couple statements from SAG and from the Directors Guild, from the Writers Guild, and my agency that I’m represented by, UTA, had some thoughts, and I tend to agree with those thoughts,” she says. “So I think I’ll just leave it there.” (The joint statement issued by SAG-AFTRA, DGA and WGA called the academy’s decision a devaluation of “the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning.”)
Regardless, the actor looks forward to celebrating with both productions. “If you’re lucky to be there as a nominee, it’s exciting to just feel what that feels like [in the room] and be excited by that. It’s not a feeling that gets old.”
In the Peacock thriller “All Her Fault,” Fanning relished the opportunity to work within a starry ensemble including Sarah Snook, Michael Peña, Jake Lacy and more, as well as getting to explore and express female rage through her character, steady yet overworked mom Jenny. “People connected with the mystery of it, and I think audiences love trying to figure out what’s going to happen or who did it,” she says. “A lot of women have really responded to Jenny … they felt validated in her struggle and her rage. And I took a lot of inspiration from the women in my life [to play her].”
In an email, “All Her Fault” executive producer Minkie Spiro, who directed the first four episodes, praised Fanning’s ability to be fully prepared but flexible with her performance. “She remains completely alive to whatever unfolds in the moment. Watching her play Jenny, I was constantly struck by how much she could communicate without announcing any of it — wit, exhaustion, anger and vulnerability could all pass through a single look. The camera doesn’t just capture Dakota performing; it captures her thinking, and that is what makes her work so compelling.”
Fanning’s true Hollywood story is of the more rare and idyllic variety. Her acting potential was “discovered” after the final performance at a weeklong summer camp at an Atlanta playhouse, when an instructor told her parents their daughter “seemed to really enjoy and understand [acting] in a different way than some of the other kids” and suggested she start going out for commercials. The Fannings moved from Georgia to Los Angeles not long after that.
“I knew it was a job, but I didn’t really think about it in that way. It was something that was just fun, I liked the way it made me feel,” she says of her early work. The young star held her own with memorable gut-punch performances opposite Sean Penn in 2001’s “I Am Sam,” for which she won a Critics Choice Award (the youngest-ever winner at age 7), and three years later with Denzel Washington in “Man on Fire.” “It was all kind of instinctual. I didn’t really take any classes,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot from people I’ve worked with. I’ve learned so much, but it’s been more on the ground.”
Fanning says she’s always surprised by the projects fans refer to when they approach her. “If it’s a girl my age, it’ll probably be ‘Uptown Girls’ [a 2003 coming-of-age drama with Brittany Murphy]. But if I had to pick one that sort of [gets mentioned] across the board, it’s ‘Man on Fire.’ That’s a lot of people’s favorite. And I totally understand. Denzel freaking Washington, Tony Scott. It’s such a good movie. It’s so sad, it makes me cry.”
The film’s ending, she means, not the experience making it. “I think because I started acting so young and had these really pivotal, poignant experiences, it’s immortalized the memories. So when people ask, ‘Do you even remember doing “Man on Fire”?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course I do. What do you mean?’ I think about the memories with Denzel and with Tony, and getting to live in Mexico City for six months when you’re 9 years old is pretty spectacular.”
While Fanning continues filming the Apple series, helmed by showrunner Alex Cary (“Homeland”), alongside another stellar ensemble (one that includes Stellan Skarsgård and Grace Gummer), she’ll be promoting “The Sun Never Sets.” The indie drama also stars Jake Johnson, is directed by Joe Swanberg and opens in limited release Aug. 28 before going wide Sept. 4. “We filmed that in Alaska last June, and it was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” says Fanning. “I’ve never been camping, I’m not super outdoorsy, but in Alaska, it is so unbearably beautiful you can’t even believe what you’re looking at and you want to be out in it, on the water and on a mountain.”
In addition to getting more in touch with her outdoorsy side, Fanning added an unexpected skill to her résumé. “My character works in construction and I learned to drive and operate a bulldozer and a forklift,” she says with pride. “I loved every second.”
Fanning’s co-star Johnson told The Envelope via email he loved working with her, “first because she’s a great actor. She is present and unpredictable in scenes. She is real,” he shared. “But what I enjoyed most is being around her. I knew she was going to be talented, I didn’t know she was going to be so fun and funny. We became fast friends and she made the experience such a joy.”
Twenty-five years in, Fanning is just as fulfilled by the work as she was at the very beginning of her career. “It’s a job, but it’s also time in your life, days, months,” she says. “If you’re not filled by it in a real way that feels good, I don’t know how to do that.”
Which makes another upcoming industry milestone all the more meaningful: a permanent “place” on Hollywood Boulevard. “My sister and I are the first sisters to get stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Fanning reveals. “It’s a very ‘Whoa, what is happening?’ moment because I remember being 6 years old and coming to L.A. to see if I could get some commercials. I was a massive ‘I Love Lucy’ fan when I was little and Lucille Ball was my favorite. And so we went to see her star. That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane. It will be a double star ceremony, and I’m so excited and can’t wait for that.”
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